Viral CHaD video shows what health care is all about

It was the work of the caregivers, not the tune, that made the video resonate with so many

Last month, someone at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD) posted on YouTube a wonderfully touching video of the kids, nurses, doctors and administrators there dancing to Katy Perry’s “Roar.” The video went viral and caught national attention. I have to admit, I’ve watched it several times and get goose bumps every time.

But why?

What is it about this video that caught the attention of the nation? Is it the tremendous spirit of these kids who are facing a bigger challenge in their lives than many of us will ever experience? Is it the nurses and doctors who give of themselves so completely to care for their patients? Is it the system that allows all of this to happen? Or is it just Katy Perry and a great song with a catchy beat?

As someone who admittedly can’t carry a tune, I can assure you it’s not the song itself — although that helps. No, it’s the kids themselves and the tremendous courage and determination they show.

Imagine yourself as a parent of one of these kids with a life-threatening illness. As a parent, there’s nothing more that we want than for our kids than to be healthy, happy and vibrant. They have so much in front of them. The last thing we want is to put a barrier, any barrier, in front of them, the least of which is a life-threatening illness.

It’s also about the nurses, the doctors and other caregivers who work so tirelessly every day to take care of these kids, their patients. It’s about all of the doctors and nurses at CHaD and hospitals across New Hampshire and the nation who come to work every day with one goal in mind: to provide the best possible care to their patients and their families.

That is what health care is all about. That is what calls these women and men to their professions and careers. They are heroes, each and every one of them. They have committed their lives to helping others, with the greatest ethic of compassion and caring.

It is these stories about the work that we do that inspire us and drive us to do better for the patients, families and communities who we serve.

To the patients, families, nurses, doctors, caregivers, administrators and budding film director at CHaD, thanks for letting us hear you roar!

Steve Ahnen is president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association.